I Have a Stalker of Noble Status. And to Make Matters Worse, their Numbers are Increasing (BL) - Chapter 42

Three days after returning to the royal capital.

I found myself visiting a national research institute located in the city.

The reason? Theo was currently living here as part of the government’s program to support and monitor transferred individuals.

After sending him a letter asking if he had time to talk, he replied that today would be fine, so I wasted no time in coming to see him.

Naturally, Ray and Max accompanied me.

“Hey! Long time no see, you three! With the new semester starting soon, I didn’t expect you to go out of your way to visit. What’s up?”

“Yeah, well… A lot happened over the break. I wanted to ask you for more details about Prilavi’s scenario.”

◇◇◇

“Wait, you were officially recognized as the Hero!? That’s way too fast. I mean, yeah, it’s a game event, but it’s supposed to happen near the end of the second year!”

“Yeah, and on top of that, Prince Chrisford and Lord Douglas’s storylines with Ange have progressed significantly, and I’ve already met the Crown Prince—even though he was supposed to be a hidden character. Doesn’t it feel like something is seriously off?”

That day at the royal castle, when I was officially recognized as the Hero—

After reuniting with Ray and Lady Violetta, who had been waiting for me out of concern, I asked Ange what had happened at the castle in my absence.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you just yet… But you’ll find out very soon! And I’m sure it’ll be something that makes you happy too, Lord Patrick!”

She had said that with such a bright, cheerful smile.

But I had a pretty good idea.

She must have learned the truth—

That Prince Chrisford was alive.

Recalling everything that had happened so far, I carefully explained the situation to Theo.

After thinking for a moment, Theo slowly responded.

“Yeah… ‘off’ is one way to put it, but more than that, I’d say things are moving way too fast. Hero recognition isn’t supposed to happen unless the protagonist reaches a really high level.”

Oh. That’s probably because of the chef’s special menu…

“Can we really keep going at this pace? If we fail to reach the Eternal True Ending, then Violetta will…”

Ray’s voice was strained with worry.

That was something I absolutely had to avoid.

Lady Violetta was an important friend to me now, and more than that, I didn’t want Ray to have to die and start over ever again.

“Rather than failing the Eternal True Ending, I’d say you’re actually heading toward the Ultimate Ending instead. The Eternal True Ending is tied to the female protagonist’s route, so Hero recognition wasn’t supposed to happen at all…”

“Wait, what!?”

So this is happening because I interfered too much?

Great. Fantastic. This is the worst.

“Oh! But considering how close Raymond and Maxwell seem to be to you, you might still have a chance to reach one of their endings! Based on what you’ve said, it sounds like Lord Douglas and Prince Chrisford are more closely tied to Lady Angelica, so their routes are probably locked in. But! If you aim for the Crown Prince, who appeared earlier than expected, or even the Third Prince—whom you haven’t met yet—you totally still have options!”

I AM NOT AIMING FOR THEM!!

“…”

“…”

See!?

Thanks to Theo’s completely unnecessary comment, Ray and Max just went dead silent!!

“No, listen. It’s not about which ending I can aim for—I want to reach an ending where everyone can be happy. At the very least, I want an ending where no one is left miserable.”

I hurriedly explained my stance to Theo.

“Oh, right. You guys have been aiming for the Eternal True Ending to save Lady Violetta. Hmm… This is just my guess, but I don’t think we’re heading toward the route where Violetta gets condemned anymore.”

“What!?”

The three of us—Ray, Max, and I—exclaimed in perfect unison.

“The thing is, in routes where the male protagonist is selected, there aren’t that many scenarios where Violetta meets such a tragic fate. Unlike in the female protagonist’s story, where she’s more of a villainess, in the male protagonist’s route, she’s treated more as a romanceable character.”

Theo’s words should have been good news.

Yet, instead of feeling relieved, we were all left completely dumbfounded by how anticlimactic this revelation was.

“When we first talked about this, I couldn’t say anything definitive because I didn’t know which scenario you were heading toward. But looking at how much you, Lord Patrick, have progressed in your own storyline, and considering Ange and Violetta’s increasing bond, it’s hard to imagine that we’d still end up on the condemnation route.”

“I… see.”

The three of us exchanged glances.

“…”

We were so caught off guard that it took a moment for the realization to truly sink in.

So, in other words…

“So… Violetta is safe?”

“Yes, yes! That’s right, Ray!!”

Overcome with emotion, I grabbed Ray’s hands and shook them up and down enthusiastically.

Thank goodness…!

This means Ray won’t have to die and start over again.

We can all continue growing up together—side by side.

“I’m so glad! Ray, this is amazing!”

“Yeah… Thank you, Pat. It’s all thanks to you. In the end, you really were the key to saving my fate…”

We were so overwhelmed that we just kept shaking each other’s hands, practically on the verge of tears.

Until Theo, looking incredibly uncomfortable, hesitantly spoke up.

“Uh… Hate to break up the moment, but…”

“Hm?”

“I only said the condemnation route is unlikely. That doesn’t mean we’re on track for an ending where everyone gets a happy outcome… In fact, things are still looking pretty complicated.”

“…Huh?”